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I picked up the Bon Jovi "Covered Dead or Alive" tribute despite reading consistently negative reviews since I had heard about it. One reporter even dared to say that "If you like hair bands, you'll like this." Well, Bon Jovi WAS a hair band so I probably wouldn't be buying it if I didn't like hair metal, now would I?
Jon Bon Jovi has a distinct voice when he chooses to use it. Recent Bon Jovi recordings have had him singing with a country accent and a tone that can only be described as "singing through the nose." But Jon Bon Jovi, when he knew how to rock, was a fantastic singer. While I get insanely angry when Jon is given full credit for the success of the band Bon Jovi, I must compare the vocals of the singers on this album to him as the backing band is solid enough to pass for band Bon Jovi.
Alex Mitchell starts out the tribute album with a fairly well done version of Runaway. What is missing in the track is the high pitched vocals towards the end of the song that appear on the original Bon Jovi recording.
Stevie Rachelle (Tuff) deserves a medal of honor for his performance of In & Out of Love. Tremendous vocals!
Kelly Hansen (Hurricane) does an impressive job with You Give Love a Bad Name. Very complete and polished sounding.
Marq Torien (Bulletboys) gives Livin' On a Prayer a very unique twist. The Bulletboys are known for the tune "Smooth Up In Ya" and if you have heard the song, you know Marq's style. He hasn't changed. I like it!
Phil Lewis (L.A. Guns) does a great job with Wanted Dead or Alive. It's just a shame the production of that song was not what it should have been. What is missing? Phil says, "I'm Wanted" and nobody is there to belt out "WANTED!" between "I'm Wanted" and "Dead or Alive." To me, that hurt the song a lot. But, Phil gives it a great try.
Jani Lane (Warrant) does a very impressive job with Lay Your Hands On Me. Jani is such a talented artist. One of these days I hope he gets his just due.
Jizzy Pearl (Love-Hate, Ratt, L.A. Guns) does a tremendous job with Bad Medicine. Jizzy is one of my favorite performers. The only negative about this track is the keyboard does not sound as professional as it did on Bon Jovi's album New Jersey.
Joh Corabi (Union, Motley Crue, Ratt) does a tremendous job with my personal favorite Bon Jovi tune, "Born to be my Baby." I have a world of respect for John and this performance deserves a listen.
Spike, after an atrocious version of Paradise City on the Guns 'n' Roses tribute, makes an improvement doing Living in Sin. Not a bad track but not the albums best cover either.
Chaz does an okay version of I'll Be There for You. Nothing earth shattering but not too shabby.
Kory Clarke does a decent version of Blaze of Glory. The original release of Blaze of Glory was an attempt to recreate Wanted Dead or Alive so from the start I am not a huge fan of that song but one thing is missing. When Jon says "SHOT" you hear the hard drum beat right after it on the real recording. Not having that leaves an empty feeling.
Dangerous Toys do It's My Life. I'm a little disappointed, to be honest. Jason McMaster is such a great energy exhuming singer. His work with Dangerous Toys always resulted in great music and on the Def Leppard tribute album, he blew me away with "Let It Go." This was not done as drastically differently as it should have been. McMaster could have easily turned the song into a metal song but he just kind of sang it regularly. Oh well.
The production on the album seems to be hit or miss. While no songs sound overly poor, some, especially from I'll Be There for You" on. Also, the backing band, while crisp, is not as tight as I had hoped though it certainly is not a bad band. Overall, it is not a bad compilation. The high points, in my opinion, are Stevie Rachelle, Jani Lane, Jizzy Pearl, and John Corabi's tracks. You should probably sample these songs, hear what they sound like, and if you like them, buy it. This is a better "best of" compilation than "This Left Feels Right," but then again death is preferable to that album.
One final note: This album is NOT live. Amazon appears to have made a factual error.
From the manufacturer
About Us
Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label founded in 1992 by entrepreneur and music fan Brian Perera.It has since grown into a family of labels, including Hypnotic Records, Purple Pyramid Records, Deadline Music Records; and X-Ray Records, encompassing a variety of genres with emphasis on unique and experimental artists.
Cleopatra Records has been primarily known for ushering in the second wave of gothic and industrial music with an eclectic roster of artists including Christian Death, Nosferatu, Rosetta Stone, Switchblade Symphony, Leæther Strip, The Electric Hellfire Club, Razed in Black, X Marks the Pedwalk, Spahn Ranch, Genitorturers, Download (featuring members of Skinny Puppy) and others as well as new wave artists Gary Numan, Missing Persons, Information Society and others.
